Posts filed under 'Reduce Products'
We just got back from showing our Reduce line of products at an eco-friendly product event for the media in NYC. Wow! There are a lot of really innovative green products out there.
Our line created a lot of interest–the Compactor Can is like nothing else. When we show people how simple it works–just push down on the lid to smash down your garbage–people invariably reacted with amazement. It does have that cool factor.
And our Melaboo bamboo kitchenware is so colorful that it often stopped the press in their tracks. Not easy to do, I might add. Who says eco-friendly can’t be eco-chic! Our stuff looks good.
What struck me was that eco is not going away anytime soon….it’s here to stay. There are endless ideas to be vetted and problems to be solved that will eventually lead to products or services that will help us all lead more environmentally responsible lives.
But be careful–everything seems to be called green these days! There are varying shades of green, so-to-speak. Some products help us replace a bad eco-killing habit (like how our WaterWeek bottles help you ditch the disposables). And some items are made of eco-friendly materials that are gentler on our environment (like our colorful Melaboo kitchen products, made of highly sustainable bamboo). And some just really aren’t that green at all….
So enjoy all the eco products on shelves today, and get ready for a whole lot more. All useful, we hope. Definetely if they’re from Reduce.
Rani Quirk
Marketing Manager
February 19th, 2010
Not to sound old-fashioned, but most household products appeal to women, not men. Women buy them, use them, store them, throw them out when done, and buy new ones when they need them. This is a generalization, I know, but still very true. Any smart marketer knows this to be fact. So, at Base Brands, when we develop new and different household products, we talk to our consumer and listen to her too. But, one of our most recent product launches got me thinking. What makes a typical household product “crossover” to the other side? When does the male of the house start to notice a particular household item and care enough to give his opinion to the ultimate decision maker?
A friend of a friend’s husband, who is pretty traditional (not a lot of help with household or childcare chores), told his wife he wanted them to buy this well-known high-end vacuum cleaner. He doesn’t vacuum, has never vacuumed and probably never will. But he wanted them to have this vacuum. Why? Because it had a great design and looked cool. It had a “mechanism” to it that made it different.
And so it is with our new Reduce™ Compactor Can. It’s a kitchen garbage can that features great design and looks cool. And it has a revolutionary feature unlike any other can out there— it has a compacting feature built into the lid so you can compact 2 times your household garbage, all without plugs or batteries. You just push down on the lid handle and a compacting disc then squishes down your garbage. No more sticking your hand into the trash! So it is a sanitary solution to a common problem, that also saves money on trash bags, and sends less bags to the landfill, making it eco-friendly too. And to brag a bit, the Reduce Compactor Can, has recently been selected as a finalist in a housewares design contest! The 2010 Housewares Design Awards chose the Reduce Compactor Can as one of only 65 finalists out of over 300 entries because of its innovative and eco-friendly design. Check it out at http://www.housewaresdesignawards.com/hda/main.asp.
We have found that men really like the Reduce Compactor Can. It has man-appeal. Is it because men take out the trash? (Again, generalizing here.) Is it because they have a gadget to play with? Is it because it appeals to their ego because they can one-up the neighbors with the coolest garbage can in the cul-de-sac? Not sure here. Women still make the buying decisions no doubt, but with more and more household products, they may hear more input from their other half. The big question is will they listen. What other household products do you think have “man-appeal”? Let us know. We’re curious.
Ken Kreafle, CEO of Base Brands
December 8th, 2009
The holiday shopping season is officially upon us and if you haven’t crossed everyone off your list yet, we thought it would be helpful to share some tips on how to be a bit more eco-friendly during this yearly ritual of mass purchasing and consumption. And the good part, not only will these tips help you be more green, they may just save you some green too.
- Get organized: Write down all your gifts and consolidate your shopping trips. Don’t drive to far away stores to pick up one or two things. That’s a big waste of emissions. Plan to hit a few stores on one big trip.
- Bring reusable shopping bags. These bags are not just for the grocery store; why not bring them to the mall as well? Makes good sense.
- Shop online. This is a bit obvious, but it’s worth repeating. Because you are not driving anywhere, you’re saving on fossil fuels and emissions.
- Buy locally. Look for vendors who are local—farmers, craftspeople, etc.—and support them. You know their products didn’t travel across an ocean to get to you. Energy is saved and pollution is reduced.
- Green gift wrapping: Use recycled papers, newspapers or fabric to wrap and decorate packages. Make bows out of fabric ribbon instead of the plastic kind; these take a long time to decompose and can give off toxic fumes when burned.
- Rechargeable batteries: Consider buying rechargeable batteries and include a charger as part of the gift. This will cut down dramatically on the amount of discarded batteries that end up polluting the earth.
- Make it with love: Make homemade gifts, and if they’re edible, even better. This way, you are showing great affection (it takes thought and effort to cook/bake/assemble something) and when the gift is consumed, all that is left over is a handy jar or container.
- Save the paper: This is tough with kids, since they have very little patience opening gifts, but a lot of wrapping paper can be saved with a little careful ripping. Especially on big toy packages. There is easily enough usable paper to be saved for small packages next year.
- Give green gifts: Help spread the word about the importance of saving our earth. Look for gifts with eco-labels, made out of recycled products or that help people become more green. Reduce WaterWeek bottles are attractive and giving them will encourage the recipient to stop buying wasteful disposable water bottles.
- Gift Cards: There’s the constant debate whether gift cards are the lazy man’s way out, with that aside, it is a great green solution. Your loved one gets to pick out what they really want, reducing the amount of unwanted items ending up in the Goodwill bin.
That’s it. No doubt, there are many more ways to be green this season. Hopefully, we can all keep some of these tips in mind as we hit the stores, whether brick and mortar or online. Keep thinking green and you may save some green.
–Ken Kreafle, CEO of Base Brands
November 30th, 2009
Check out the following blog for a recent review on WaterWeek.
http://www.greenmamaspad.com/2009/11/reduce-waterweek-review-giveaway.html
November 20th, 2009
BPA has reared its ugly head again with news that a popular water bottle company didn’t exactly “not” use it in its aluminum bottle liners. Oops. But why should you care?
BPA (bisphenol-a) is a mouthful for sure. And, it should stay away from your mouth too, because studies have shown it is linked to some pretty bad diseases and conditions. Although widely used for over 50 years until recently, BPA has been found to cause developmental problems, neurotoxicity, hormone disruption and carcinogenic effects, even at low doses, during laboratory tests on rats. There are even thoughts that BPA could be linked as a precursor to breast cancer and obesity.
So we don’t want our friends, family, loved ones or ourselves drinking from bottles or cups made with BPA. Period. All Base Brands products, including Reduce WaterWeek bottles, are BPA-free and they’ve never had it; never will.
Look for products that are BPA-free. It is a minimum standard you should expect from any product you spend your hard-earned money on.
–Ken Kreafle, CEO Base Brands
October 22nd, 2009
Why should you reduce your carbon footprint? Since the beginning of time the presence of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere has been necessary to warm the earth. However, the more we have progressed in technology, the more energy we use on a regular basis. The activities that we take part in that release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere are what make up our carbon footprint. Now there is an argument for too much of a good thing. We need the carbon dioxide to keep everything from freezing, but it has become necessary to moderate the amount we emit so that we can do our part to suppress global warming.
Many of us have listened to endless political debates over what is causing climate change but thus far we have not seen much action towards alleviating the problem. The other night I was able to tune into The Vice Presidential Debate for a bit and when asked about climate change and energy efficiency, Sarah Palin’s response really got me thinking. She had a complete disinterest in wasting time debating why the problem existed but was more concerned about coming up with a solution. (More Info…) Going along with that principle, I am more interested in taking initiative and doing my part to positively affect the climate crisis than waiting around for a bunch of politicians in D.C. to come up with a plan they can agree on implementing. We should be Proactive, not passive, but how? At Reduce we make it simple to reduce your carbon footprint in everyday life. All of our products provide for a more energy efficient lifestyle; from our WaterWeek Reusable Bottles to my personal favorite, the BAGit Trash Can. Take a look at our products and see how easily you can become part of a proactive solution to climate change.
October 6th, 2008
In June of 2008, REDUCE was showcased as a company that “saved money” and “reduced waste”! We hope you’ll enjoy reading the blog entry from Going Green Matters.
http://www.goinggreenmatters.com/
July 3rd, 2008
The average American household spends hundreds of dollars each year buying bottled water. If these families were to fill reusable bottles with their own filtered tap water, they could save an average of at least $500 per year and help reduce the nearly 200 million pounds of plastics waste… Click to read the full WaterWeek press release.
July 2nd, 2008
I confess, I’m frequently on the lookout for great-looking water bottles. I love drinking water… Click here to read how one WaterWeek user LOVES to reduce by using her new WaterWeek bottles!
Basebrands would like to thank “Green Unlimited” for their glowing report on WaterWeek. It is exciting to think of the endless possibilities as we all join together to REDUCE!
July 2nd, 2008
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